The National tribune., 1887-03-03
E enemy's fire. which vigorously opened upon


first line OF the abatis. some $50 yards from the
enemy's works. Then the axmen TO the front
To cut away the distractions of defense. while 900
men of the enemy with their artillery concen-
trated. poured from the redOubt n heavy fire upon
the head Of the column hardly wider than the
Clerks desk. The axmen go down under the muir
derous fire. other strong hands grasp the in
their stead, and the abatis is cut away. Again at
don6Ie-quiek the column g9cs forward within 80
abatis- The column baIts, and there n very fire of
hell IS pouring on them The abatis resists and
holds; the head of the column seems literally to
melt away under the rain Of shot and shell; the
flags OF the leading regiments go down, but a
brave black hand seiZes the colors-they are up
again, and wave their starry light over the storm
of the battle. Again the axmen fall, but strong
hands and willing hearts seize the heavy, sharp
ened trees and drag them away, and the column
rushes forward, and with a shout, which now rings
in my ear, go over that redoubt like a fash, and
the enemy never stop running for four miles.
IL became my painful duty, sir, to follow the
track OF that charging column and there in a space
not wider than the Clerks desk and 200 yards long
lay the dead bodies of 5i3 of my colored comrades,
slain in defense OF their country, who had laid
down their lives To- uphold its flag and iis honor
n willing sacrifice. Sir, is il possible to believe that
the dependent parents of men like these shall be
denied by this act of the President that relief and
succor in their old age that a grateful country
would willingly accord 10 them? Sir, enough for
this first clause of the BILL which the President of
the United States has not even offered to the coun-
try lame excuse for his disapproval.
Mr.. HAYNES, OF NEW HAMPSHIRE:
failure to pass this bill over the Executive veto
will be accepted notice served that there is to
be no further pension legislation under the present
dispensaton. Ii will be the eliminating triumph
of n sentiment which has had rapid Developments
and has ripened under the fostering care of the
present National administration. The five min
utes( of time accorded me will permit only the
briefest allusions to matters that pertinent in
the consideration OF this bill in its present position
| 1t has come to US stamped with the seal of the
Presidents disapproval
1t would not have been possible for human in
| genuity To have formulated bill more In accord
with the recommendations of the President in his
| annual message 10 Congress, and yet when his
| own suggestions are laid before him in form
| which requires only scratch Of the pen to make
! them Law. he withholds his signature and adver-
tises his Inconsistency. The soft cooling of the Ex-
ecutive voice in December bespeaks tender CON
| sideratiOn for those who. having served their
country long and well, are reduced to destitutiOn
and dependence. not as an incident Of their SER
| vice, but with advancing age or through sickness
| or misfortune"
But in less than three months the voice takes on
harsher tone, and the same men are stigmatZed as
a class among whom there exists widespread
disregard Of truth and good faith" Aud to dOubly
| mark the Presidents Inconsistency, il has been
noted. and will doubtless be again noted. that when
the companion bills passed by this House upon the
same day are placed before him, he makes haste to
sign the one that grants service pension pure and
| absolute to every survivor of the Mexican war,
and his hack to the utterly disabled and desti
| tute veterans of the war of the rebellion.
The sun ut midday IL not palmer than the motives
which induced this incousiStent discrimination !;
and If more need be said on this point may state,
| what is known TO but few Members. that i'm the
files of this House there is to-day petition praying
| that pension of at least S. per month may be
/ granted To every hOnorably discharged soldier of
4 the Union armies, and among the signatures ap-
pended appears the name Of Grover Cleveland"
! The man who. as Governor of New York. a
candidate for the high office Of President bid
der for soldier votes petltioned for a pension for
every soldier, withholds his signature President
from bill designed to bring relief only to the few
who are totally disabled and dependent upon pub
| lie or private charity.
| Now. Mr.. Speaker, il may rs well be considered
as settled that the soldiers of this country,
body in favor Of this bill. and will resent its
defeat. Let be noted that the petitions and reso-
1 lutiOns Of the Grand Army Posts and Grand Army
| Encampmcnts are pouring in upon the Committee
| on Invalid Pensions by hundreds, asking for the
| passage of this bill oseT the Presidents veto.
I The Department Ene&mpment of New Hamp-
shire unanimously adopted resolutions which have
been transmitted to me by telegraph, indorsing the
proposition we are to pass upon to-day. And Post
amer Post have forwarded resolutions Unanimously
adopted requesting me to vote to override the
Presidents veto shall take the greatest pleasure
in obeyiug these instructions to the end that
| who served his country faithfully, no man who was
n comrade of mine, shall reproachfully say TO
me from his refuge in the public almshouse. you
| had hand In keeping me here"
Mr.. BAYNE, OF PENNSYLVANIA:
I have heard il alleged and seen ii in the public
press, that there are those among who will vote
for this bill who not really in favor of it. ak
| il there be any man the floor OF this House who
occupies that position to rise and manfully say So
| and Iause for II reply.
I want to say that this bill is being opposed by
| the most insidious and the most hypoeriteal meth
ods that were ever employed to defeat or promote
! legislation. Applause i want to say the allega-
tions that the Members of this House Who will vote
for this bill not heartily and sincerely for il are
| falsehoods that published in the press OF the
| country for the purpose of sustaining the Execu-
tive in his veto. and not because they are facts
| do not believe that there IL man on the floor o
this House who will vote for this bill who does not
heartily sympathiZe with its objects IL is derided
as pauDer bill. How many dependents are there
| now on the pension rollsI Nearly one-thrd o
/ those on the rolls, believe, are dependents
IL j. said the evidence cannot be furnished to the
| Pension Bureau to- sustain these claims under ex
isting law, and that therefore no law should be en-
acted which would allow them. True enough; but
the Presidents position Is that those W no went into
the hospitals, who lay there half of their term o.
service perhaps. and have a hospital record, shall
have pensions because they contracted disease oi
disability in the service. while those who went
through the war from beginning to end and nevel
went into a hospital and cannot prove their claim.
by hospital records shall have no pensions
Why, sir. if either class should have pensions, j
would seem to be that the class provided for in th
bill should be preferred Total disability. utter in
capacity To n livelihood. dependence upoT
their own labor for support, yet unable to suppor
themselves; honprably discharged from the mill
tary service of the United States-what more shoul'
he asked? II Is unjust beyond measure to deny
pensions To the benetieiaries of this bill, and sin
| cerely hope it vii! become n law.
Mr.. GRosyENoR, OF OHIO:
Mr. Speaker regret that it should appear tina
the President Of the United States. after havinl
seat to this House message which amazes tn
intelligent people OF the whole country should b
! personally represented by gentleman upon thi
floor who. for the first time in the history of thi
! Congress. denies, by his objection to Members o
! the House. the ordinary courtesy of being hear,
through the Record for want of time to speak upOi
n question like this. II may be that this repre-
sentative of the President of the United States sup
poses that in this way the people of the country
be deferred from having full and fair discussion
of this great question. 10 may be, however, tina
inside Of the next two and half years the Presi
dent Of the United States will wish that it had bee
, permitted to Members of Congress to be heard NOR
. fully and completely in this discussion.
Dir. Speaker. the error in my judgment, int
which the Executive has fallen in considering thi
{ ~ Continued on ath page.)